Red Rex

In a hidden kingdom where dinosaurs roam freely, Carthus is trapped.

The fourteen-year-old orphan guards a stegosaurus herd for his uncaring uncle and dreams of training as a dinosaur rider at the ancient school of Koganri. The problem is, he’s a commoner, so his only hope is to pass an impossibly hard entrance exam. After countless hours of study, Carthus earns the kingdom’s only passing grade.

However, elite schoolmasters group him with the misfits and foreigners in their plot to rid Koganri of students they deem unworthy. Carthus must win a series of dinosaur-riding competitions, or his chances of staying at the school are nil. But he can’t win the Maybranch alone—it’s a team competition. To keep his dream alive, Carthus must help his teammates get along so they can joust on gallos, fly on pterodactyls, and give commands to a surly t-rex. The fate of their future depends on it, even more than they know.

Matthew Mellema

Matthew Mellema was born and raised in Colorado Springs: a place surrounded by dinosaur bones. After earning an English degree and a law degree, Matthew returned to Colorado. Once back home, the dinosaur bones of his childhood reignited his imagination. Matthew lives with his wife and four kids in Colorado Springs. He's a member-artist of the Anselm Society's Arts Guild, and hosts their podcast, "Believe to See." He and his brother Brian (the illustrator of Red Rex) also host the Brothers Mellema YouTube channel. They talk about cryptids, ancient cultures, and (of course) dinosaurs.